Mobile messaging, a technology that is often associated with smartphones, is now being more broadly applied within the enterprise. Application of this technology is increasing in areas typically dominated by legacy instant messaging applications. One providers of such a service is HeyWire Business, which today launched a channel partner program designed to reward partners that leverage the company's API.

In a perfect example of how APIs can enhance an application to make it more useful and productive, Facebook announced it is integrating OpenTable in its mobile app. If you are a Facebook user, you can now book reservations on your mobile phone via a restaurant’s Facebook page, without leaving to go to another application.

In October Google announced the cost for Google Maps if you use above 25,000 map loads per day. Many developers balked at paying for a service that had been free for several years, though it affected fewer than 1% of developers using the Google Maps API. Now the search giant is lowering the cost from $4-8 CPM to a fixed price of $0.50 per 1,000 map views. It will also start enforcing the price, though the company says this process is not automated.

The CyberSource Apple Pay API returns mobile payment data. Developers can use XML and SOAP as the formats and authenticate with HTTP basic. With ApplePay, developers can implement in app transactions...